Sharing the Good News as a Disciple of JesusSample

 Jesus is the Exuberance of God
By Rev. Kenley Mann 

How would you describe God? When I asked a Catechism class this question, I would hear many adjectives, including “love,” “good,” “holy,” “all powerful,” “forgiving,” “merciful,” etc.

In all of my years, I have never heard God described as happy. But God is happy. 1 John 2:2a says, “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it.” 

In verse 1, John writes that His hands have touched the Word of life. That is Jesus. The word “life” in its original definition carries the meaning of exuberance or vitality. Think about that – describing Jesus as exuberance!  

Remember when Jesus was baptized? The Heavenly Father could not contain Himself. He exuberantly proclaimed, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

When one sees something that is perfect, it pleases and makes one excited or exuberant. When God the Father looked at Jesus in the Jordan River, He saw perfection and rejoiced. Our God is a happy God.

This is cause for us to be exuberant because when we were baptized and brought to faith in Christ, we were put into Christ. Remember how when you look at something perfect you rejoice?  

Well, you are not “something” but rather “someone” who is perfect because of Jesus. Although you sin, you are united to Christ by faith, so the Lord delights over you as He delights over Christ. You are a cause for God’s exuberance. He delights over you.

Prayer: We praise you, O Lord, for being perfect for us and then joining us to you by faith so that we are holy and blameless. Restore to us the joy of your salvation that we may exuberantly proclaim You as the exuberant life of God. Amen.